A worker inspects a tub of margarine at a Unilever factory. The British-Dutch firm is overhauling its traditional method of recruitment.
Photograph: AFP/Getty

Unilever has begun using mobile gaming to recruit staff, with the aim of speeding up recruitment, lowering costs and promoting diversity.

The consumer goods giant, whose products range from Dove soap to Flora margarine and Marmite, plans to launch the process in the UK after introducing it in parts of Asia and the US. The British-Dutch company received 250,000 applications from graduates globally last year.

The process will mix gaming with video interviews and is designed to limit any unconscious bias in the selection process.

At Unilever, after filling in an online application form, successful candidates are invited to play a series of games for up to 20 minutes. The best will then be selected for a video interview. In the final stage, they will attend Unilever offices and collaborate virtually, giving them a day in the life experience at the company.

Research from website Monster and University College London last year found almost half of firms use video interviews as part of the selection process, and 7% do not use any face-to-face interviews at all, despite concerns that it might encourage discrimination on appearance.

The Post Office has used video interviewing for the past two years, which has resulted in cost savings in terms of travel, venue and other costs.